Furnace-regulator unit



Jan. 18, 1927.

A. H. MCCULLOCH FURNACE YREGULATOR UNIT vFilecl Nov. 22,

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 22, 192e 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 zwwyaw PatentedJan. 18, 1927.

UNlrEn stares ALFRED H. MCCULLOCI-I, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOROF ONE-HALF T0v 1,615,021 PATENT OFFICE.

LAURENCE MCCULLOCH, OF SPRINGFELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

FURNACE-REGULATOR 'UN IT.

Application filed November 22, 1826.

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to a damper andair-inlet regulator unit for application to the pipe for conducting thegases of combustion from a furnace, and is an improvement upon a draftregulator of the type disclosed in Letters Patent of the United StatesNo. 116,675, granted to Nathaniel A. Boynton, July 1, 1871.

The regulator of said patent comprises a head l'iaving a collar curvedto conform to the contour of the pipe. Projecting through a h 1aring inthe head is a shaft having a disl-z-shaped damper at one end thereof anda handle at 'the opposite end thereof. Secured to the shaftV is a sleevehaving diamctrically opposed segi'nental-shaped wings or platesprojecting therefrom adapted to cover and uncover openings in the head.The construction is such that when the han.- dle is grasped and thedamper is adjusted to open position for full draft from the furnace, thewings cover the openings 1n the head, and on the other hand, when thedamper is adjusted to closed position, the wings uncover the openings inthe head.

The regulator of said patent has been on the market for many years, andhas been popular, due among other reasons, to its simplicity andcheapness of construction and the fact that it may be quickly and easilyapplied to the pipe. However, there is a serious defect in saidregulator, in that it is so constructed that when the damper in the pipeis closed, the openings in the head allow noxious and injurious gasescoming from the furnace to escape into the cellar in which the furnaceis located, and rise up through the building to the discomfort of Vtheoccupants thereof, This condition has been aggravated in recent yearsdue to increase in use of fuels which produce greater quantities ofsmoke and gas. The aim and purpose of the present invention, therefore,is to provide a regulator which will retain the substantial advantagesof the regulator of the Boynton patent, but will overcome the objectionthereto referred to.

The character of the invention may be best understood by reference tothe following description of an embodiment thereof shown in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the regulator Serial No. 149,879.

unit and a portion of a pipe to which it is applied;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1; l

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the regulator unit and pipe, the damperbeing indicated by dotted lines in closed position;

Fig. 4 is a View of parts shown in Fig. 3, the damper being indicated bydot-ted lines 1n openV position;

F 1g. 5 on a smaller' scale is a front view ofl the head showing thelocation of the airinlet opening therein; and

Fig. 6 is a front view of the wing platos.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a portion of the'` pipe forconducting the gases of combustion from a furnace toward a chimney. Tothis pipe is applied a regulator unit embodying the invention comprisinga head 3 provided with a collar 5 curved to conform to vthe contour ofthe pipe and having a flange 7` secured by stove bolts 9 to the marginalportion of the pipe surrounding a hole 11 cut in the pipe and of asizeconforming to the collar.

At the center of the head is a short bearing 13 in which is mounted ashaft 15 having mating spliced parts 17 and 19 secured together by acotter pin 21 entered through registering bores in said parts. Forn'ledintegral with the shaft part 17 is a disk-shaped `damper 2o located inthe pipe, and in the present instance has a diameter somewhat less thanthe internal diameter of the pipe. Formed integral with the shaft part19 is a handle Q5 adapted to be grasped to adjust the damper as morefully hereinafter described. rlhe shaft 15 extends through a sleeve 27having diametrically opposed segmentalshaped wings or plates 31 and 33projecting therefrom and integral therewith. The Cotter pin 21 referredto also extends through registering' bores in the sleeve and serves tosecure the sleeve to the shaft. The head 3 has a segmental-shapedair-inlet opening 35 therein which is located wholly at the chimney sideof the damper. The wings 31 and 33 engage the outer face of the head,and the wing 31 is adapted to cover and uncover the air-inlet. openingProjecting from the head is a Istop 37 adapted to be engaged by an edgeof the wing 31 when the latter is in closed position. A notch 39 in thewing is adapted to engage the stop when the Wing 31 is in open position.The shaft has a circumferential flange 41 which engages one side of thehead, and the inner end of the sleeve 27 and the Wings engage theopposite side of the head, thereby to confine the shaft against axialmovement in the bearing.

The parts of the regulator described may all be castings with theexception of the stove belts and the cottcr pin, and no inachining ofparts is required. rlhe parts may be quickly and easily assembled. lloaccomplish this, it is merely necessary to insert the shaft part 17 inthe bearing, and present the sleeve 27 carrying the Wings to the head,the inner diameter of the sleeve lieing sufficiently large to fit freelyover the bearing. rlhe shaft part 19 is inserted in the sleeve, and thecotter pin is passed through the bores in the sleeve and shaft parts,thereby to secure them together.

The Wings 31 and 33 are substantially the same size and weight. -Whileonly the Wing 31 serves as a cover for the air-inlet opening 35, yet theother Wing 33 serves useful purposes. It counterbalances the cover Wing,it cooperates With the cover Wing in engaging the head to maintain theshaft in axial alinement with the bearing, thereby preventing sagging ofthe damper from its proper position in the pipe. It is desirable that ashort bearing shall be employed, and since there is only one b-earing itis essential to provide means for maintaining axial alinement of theshaft With the bearing. This is accomplished in the present constructionby simple means which in addition to this function has other usefulpurposes.

hen it is desired to apply the regulator unit to the pipe, the cotterpin is r-emoved to allow separation of the parts. A hole is cut in theside of the pipe of appropriate size, and the collar is secured by thestove bolts to the marginal portion of the pipe surrounding the hole.Then the damper is introduced into the pipe and the shaft part 17 isinserted through the bearing, the sleeve carryingthe Wings is presentedto the head, the shaft part 19 is inserted into the sleeve, and thecotter pin is passed through the registering bores to secure the -sleeveand the shaft parts together.

In use, when a strong draft in the furnace is desired, the handle isgrasped and the damper is rotatively adjusted to a position in Which itis parallel to the length of the pipe, as indicated in Fig. 4. lVhen thedamper is adjusted to this position, the WineF 31 will cover theair-inlet opening 35 and an edge of said Wing will engage the stop 37.When it is desired to check the re and hold the heat in the furnace, thehandle is grasped and the damper is rotatively adjusted to a closedposition in which it extends transversely to the length of the pipe, asindicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. When the damper is in this position, theWing 31 uncovers the airinlet opening 35 and the Wing notch 39 engagesthe stop 37. This Will allow air in the cellar or other place in whichthe furv nace is located to enter the pipe through the air-inlet openingin the direction of the curved arrow (Fig. 1).

lt may be assumed that Z13 (Fig. 1) is the side of the pipe between thefurnace and the damper, and 45 is the side of the pipe between thechimney and the damper, and the draft is in the direction of thestraight arrow (Fig. 1). The air-inlet opening 35 is located wholly atthe chimney side of the damper. 'll he head is closed throughout Withthe exception of said opening. Therefore when the damper is in closedposition none of the gases of combustion at the furnace side of thedamper can escape through the regulator unit into the cellar.

ln the regulator of the Boynton patent, on the other hand, thediametrically opposed openings in the head are so formed and locatedthat when the damper is closed, portions of both of said openings areopen at the furnace side of the damper, thereby allowing the noxiousobjectionable gases, coming from the furnace, to escape from the pipeinto the cellar. By the regulator disclosed herein this defect isovercome.

The damper and Wing plates have a balanced construction and theirconstruction and mounting are such that they will remain in any positionto which they are adjusted. The Weight of the parts and the frictionbetween the Wings and the face of the head contribute to this effect.The damper may be set at any angle, and the Wing 31 may partially coverthe airsinlet opening to any extent desired. The regulator unit is shownherein applied to a horizontal pipe, but it can equally Well be appliedto a vertical pipe or to a pipe having any inclination. The regulatorunit is simple and strong in construction, cheap to manufacture, notliable to get out of order, and able to withstand high temperatures.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of the pipe for conducting gases of combustion from afurnace, and a damper and air-inlet regulator unit for application tothe pipe comprising a head having a collar secured to the marginalportion of the pipe surrounding a hole in the side of the pipe, saidhead having a short bearing therein, a shaft projecting through saidbearing having a handle at one end thereof and a damper at the oppositeend thereof located in the pipe and movable to and from a closedposition in which it is transverse to the length of the pipe, said headhaving an air-inlet opening Wholly at the chimney side of the damper,and a pair of diametrically opposed Wing plates secured to the shaft,one of said plates being adapted to cover the air-inlet opening when thedamper is open and to uncover said opening when the damper is closed,and the other of said plates being adapted to counterbalance the coverplate, said plates being adapted to engage the face of the head andmaintain the shaft in axial alinement with its bearing.

2. A damper and air-inlet regulator unit for application to the pipe forconducting gases of combustion from the furnace, comprising a headhaving a collar curved to conform to the contour Aof the pipe andadapted for attachment thereto, said head having a .single air-inletopening therein, a bearing at the center of the head, a shaft projectingthrough the bearing, a damper on the shaft for regulating the draftthrough the pipe, a handle on the shaft, a flange on the shaft on oneside of the head, and a pair of counterbalanced Wing plates secured tothe shaft at the opposite side of the head, said flange and platescooperating with the head to conne the shaft against axial movement andto maintain the shaft in alinement with the bearing, said air-inletopening being at the chimney side of the damper, and one of said platesbeing adapted to cover the aireinlet opening on adjustment of the damperto open position and to uncover said opening on adjustment of the damperto closed p0- sition.

3. A damper and air-inlet regulator unit for application to the pipe forconducting gases of combustion from a furnace, comprising a head havinga collar adapted'for attachment to the pipe, a bearing in said head, ashaft projecting through the bearing, a damper on the shaft forregulating the draft through the pipe, a handle on the shaft, said headbeing closed throughoutvexcepting an air-inlet opening located in thehead at the chimney side of the damper, and a Wing plate secured to theshaft movable over the outer face of the'head to cover and uncover theair-inlet opening.

ALFRED H. MoULLocH.

